Children’s Health

With Hurricane Florence setting its sights on the Carolinas, the storm is likely to affect western North Carolina later this week, through the weekend and into the beginning of next week. Since Tuesday, more than 1.5 million people have been ordered to evacuate 300 miles along the mid- to south- Atlantic coasts; evacuees are seeking […]

By Jennifer Sellers Five-year-old Taylor Burleson of Leicester has autism and uses a communication device to talk. When he was at the Asheville Surgery Center, an affiliate of Mission Health, to have tubes put in his ears, the new Linked Program pilot the center had implemented to assist children with autism spectrum disorders made his […]

By Ashley Williams Carver, MD The time has come again for preparing to head back to school. There is a flurry of emotions including stress, nerves, excitement and elation. In order to relieve some of the nervousness and stress that can come with starting a new school year, here are a few simple tips for […]

By Lorrie Harris-Sagaribay, MPH, MotherToBaby North Carolina Safe and effective pain management requires careful consideration for anyone, but breastfeeding moms have an additional factor to consider: the possible effects of pain medications on their breastfeeding babies. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends avoiding the use of codeine and tramadol while breastfeeding. Codeine and […]

By Bruce Bacot, MD “If there’s any uncertainty or concern, especially in school-aged children, it is never a bad idea to consider a detailed sleep evaluation,” said Bruce Bacot, MD, pediatric pulmonologist at Mission Children’s Hospital. In youngsters, lack of sleep can be mistaken for conditions like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ultimately lack of sleep […]

Kelly Hughes’ son Aidan, age 12, has Tourette syndrome, and as a result has experienced tics throughout most of his childhood. Over time, he developed more complex tics, as well as co-occurring conditions like ADHD and OCD. As diagnoses piled up, and doctors continued offering the family new theories and suggestions as to how to […]

By Beverly Hopps Health Educator, Safe Kids WNC/Mission Children’s Hospital You may have seen postings on social media about “dry drowning,” stories about kids who seemed perfectly fine after getting out of a pool, ocean or lake and then, suddenly, as much as a day later, end up with breathing difficulties and die. It’s terrifying […]

By Michelle Spevak Physical Therapist Some babies are born with neck tightness or a head shape that makes them develop a preference to look right or left, a muscle condition called congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). Infants with CMT have shortened neck muscles on one side of the body causing them to look and tilt their […]

By Ashley McClary, MD The Buncombe County Health and Human Services Department recently announced a public health alert regarding whooping cough. There were several cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, from at least four different schools in Buncombe County. When talking to families I find that there is an immediate, gut reaction of fear for […]

Whether it’s trouble holding a spoon or keeping up in school, when our children struggle, so do we as parents. It’s challenging and stressful to see our children miss milestones, get poor grades or experience social shortfalls. “Some kids are fine at school, but when they get in the car or home, they totally melt […]